By M. Shamil Amit

Holy Family Convent Kurunegala emerged the Milo All Island  Schools Netball champions for the 12th successive year when they bagged  the overall champions’ title at the 28th Milo All Island Schools Netball  Championship concluded at the Public ground in Kurunegala yesterday (6).  

Though losing the Under 17 and 19 finals to Musaeus Colombo  and arch rivals Kalutara BV they clinched the Under 13 and 15  categories which was enough to clinch the overall title.

In fact the Rock City girls were almost assured of the  title before the age group finals were scheduled to be played in the  afternoon session as they had the honour of qualifying to all the four  finals in the age groups of Under-13, 15, 17 and 19.

The Familians were first crowned the netball queens in the  year 2008 when it was held in their hometown Kurunegala and then  retained the title in 2009 at Anuradhapura.

They followed it up by  clinching the title in Matale (2010), Matara (2011), Polonnawurwa  (2012), Piliyandala (2013), Beliatta (2014), Matale (2015), Matara  (2016), Badulla (2017) and in Kandy last year.
The champion team apart from clinching the title for the  12th successive year had the honour of bagging two of the four most  outstanding players awards that were on offer. Namely A.M.A.L.  Abeysinghe (Under-13) and R.M. Chalani Nisha (Under-15) while Nethmi  Wijenayaka of Musaeus Colombo and Dewna Randilu Silva of Kalutara BV  were the best in the Under-17 and 19 categories respectively.

Results:

Semi Finals:

• Under-13 - Holy Family Convent Kalutara beat Hillwood College Kandy 7/2  
•  Holy Family Convent Kurunegala beat Maliyadeva BV 15/6  
•  Under-15 - Devi Balika Vidyalaya Borella beat Holy Family Convent Kalutara 17/12  
• Holy Family Convent Kurunegala beat Maliyadeva BV 18/8  
•  Under-17 - Holy Family Convent Kurunegala beat Maliyadeva BV 23/17  
•  Musaeus Colombo beat Gothami BV 35/18  
•  Under-19 - Kalutara BV beat Ladies College Colombo 33-/25  
•  Holy Family Convent Kurunegala beat Visakha Vidyalaya Colombo 19-17  

Finals:

• U-13 - Holy Family Convent Kurunegala beat Holy Family Convent Kalutara 15/4  
• U-15 - Holy Family Convent Kurunegala beat Devi Balika Vidyalaya Borella 22/11  
• U-17 - Musaeus Colombo beat Holy Family Convent Kurunegala 30/29  
• U-19 - Kalutara BV beat Holy Family Convent Kurunegala 34/31).